You know that when you pull out the beauty stops, your guy can’t help but notice that you look amazing. But did you know that some get-pretty moves can actually yield a passion payoff as well? “There are all sorts of primping rituals women enjoy that can also serve as love stokers,” says Carol Queen, PhD, author of Exhibitionism for the Shy. Try Cosmo’s seven hair, makeup, and skin moves—which all double as passion tools—and discover a slew of new ways to burn up the bed… tonight.

Beauty Move #1
Get Groomed (Down There)

Maybe you’re thinking of going totally bare down there. Or you’re considering ditching your landing strip and returning to a full-on triangle. Going against your usual grooming grain can give you a huge boost in the boudoir. Why? Switching from your usual style tells your guy that you’ll also mix things up in bed.

Each bikiniline look has its erotic advantages. “I have found that going Brazilian makes the area more sensitive, so it’s possible you may feel more sexual sensation,” says Queen. And because the clitoris may be more exposed, some women say it leads to a more intense orgasm, adds Sari Locker, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amazing Sex.
Beauty Move #2
Try a Surprise Tattoo

Sneak a temporary tattoo—from a pretty butterfly to a kick-ass
spider—on your inner thigh, and “accidentally” flash him while crossing your legs. Then look out. “Many guys are visual when it comes to their arousal, so
sexy sights like a tattoo do it for them ,” says Laura Berman, PhD, coauthor of Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman. Plus, the shock of stumbling
favorite panties. Find press-on upon a racy image on your skin causes his brain to pump out adrenaline, getting him even more excited.

Beauty Move #3
Put on a Minty Lip Gloss

Have you ever heard that popping a mint before a makeout session can cause him to quiver all over? Well, kissing, etc., after applying a minty lip gloss packs an equally explosive passion punch. According to experts, when you lock lips with a guy with a minty flavor in your mouth or on your tongue, he’s going to feel an icy, tingling sensation—and that’s a huge turn-on for him.

Beauty Move #4
Apply Self-Tanner Everywhere But…

If you want to knock his socks off, self-tan all over—but leave your nether regions in relief. “When skin is tanned everywhere but the bottom bikini area,
you give him a target for nooky,” says Locker.

Beauty Move #5
Find Your Special “Do Me” Perfume

You may love your citrus fragrance for day, but don’t count on the same scent whipping him into a frenzy later that night. Instead, find a sexy scent that you wear only when you want to get horizontal. “You can actually imprint a scent on a man,” says Locker. “If you wear it only when you’re feeling frisky, then anytime he smells it, he’ll get turned on and want to ravish you.” Why is a signature shag scent such an aphrodisiac? Scientists have found that the same area of the brain that processes scent (the limbic system) also rules
emotion and memory, so scents trigger potent memories and moods.

Links of Interest: Obagi nu derm Buy today

The Dark Side
Brown is beautiful, but when your underarms are browner than the rest of your skin, then you may have a problem… There are many reasons why your underarms get dark, but for every reason, there is a solution! So don’t go giving away all your cute sleeveless tops yet…Here are five of the top reasons (and solutions) for dark underarms:

1. Hair growth
The simplest reason for any darkening of your underarms is natural hair growth. You may have thicker and more hair follicles than a normal person, so unless you shave your underarms twice a day, you may have some darkening by the end of the day.

What to do? Consider waxing your underarms, so even the roots of your underarm hairs are pulled out. This will also spare you from chicken skin (raised bumps), ingrown hairs (due to improper shaving) and having to bring a razor with you everywhere you go!

Can’t give up shaving? Then learn how to do it properly. Allow two minutes in the shower to soften your skin and hair. Use real shaving cream or gel, not soap since this will clog the razor. And because underarm hair grows in multiple directions, remember to shave upwards, downwards and sideways, rinsing off your razor between strokes of your multiple-blade razor.

2. Residue
It is also possible that all you really need is a good scrubbing! Sweat, impurities and leftover deodorant can accumulate if you don’t exfoliate your underarms regularly. In fact, if you are using a very effective anti-perspirant, then you’ll have to work extra hard to remove this product from your skin.

Exfoliate every other day when you bathe. Wet your skin and use a loofah to gently but persistently rub away all the impurities. Try a pumice stone for heavy-duty occasions. It also helps whiten your underarms by removing dead cells.

3. Hyper pigmentation
For many reasons, sometimes just simple genetics, you have dark underarms.

Begin with whitening creams and products. If that doesn’t work, consider bleaching or peeling, although there is a high-risk of discomfort like redness and itchiness. Sometimes a hydrocortisone cream helps, but try to do a parch test before you use the product on the entire affected area.

Injections are probably the last resort, in which whitening agents are injected directly under your skin and lighten the upper layer of your underarm skin from inside out. This procedure should only be done by a licensed dermatologist or plastic surgeon because it involves introducing chemicals into your body.

WHAT TO KNOW:

1. They’re clogged pores filled with oil and dead skin that have become inflamed. They turn into cystic acne when the pore ruptures under the skin, causing the inflammation to spill out into the surrounding tissue. Your body forms a cyst around it to stop the inflammation from spreading further.
2. They look like red bumps on your face (similar to big bug bites). These pimples live underneath the skin’s surface—they don’t form whiteheads or blackheads, so they’re difficult to pop.
3. They require special care and can leave scars if left untreated—or if they are treated incorrectly (for example, if you push the infection even further below the skin’s surface by trying to squeeze it).

WHAT CAUSES THEM:

• Hormones: Androgen hormones can overstimulate the sebaceous (oil) glands, which makes your body produce so much oil that it gets stuck in your pores and traps bacteria. The bacteria multiplies, causing the inflammation that starts a cystic pimple. You’re most likely to get this acne when these hormones surge: first during puberty, then a few days before each period. Androgens also fluctuate when you lose a lot of weight.
• Stress: When you’re under pressure and your stress level rises, your body responds by producing cortisol, another hormone that overstimulates your oil glands.

PREVENT THEM

Follow these blemish-fighting methods to help keep your skin free of underground pimples.

• Clear-skin diet: Eat one serving daily of foods with vitamin B6 (one banana or a bowl of whole-grain cereal) to even out hormone levels; and beta-carotene (two medium carrots) to smoothen skin.
• Cleanser: Use a salicylic acid or a deepcleansing wash twice a day to clear pores of oil and debris.
• Oral medication: Ask your doc about tetracycline, an antibiotic that kills infection-causing bacteria, or Accutane, a drug that decreases the amount of oil your sebaceous glands produce.